The present invention relates to an apparatus, method, computer program and storage medium for controlling a music score display of a music piece in accordance with progression of the music piece performed on the basis of predetermined music piece data (i.e., performance data of the music piece), which permit the music score display with increased visibility even when the music piece has complicated construction.
In cases where an automatic performance is executed on the basis of user-desired music piece data (i.e. where the user-desired music piece data are reproduced) using an electronic musical instrument, personal computer, etc., it has been known to automatically show a music score of the music piece on a screen of a display device. Namely, for a user who wants to enjoy playing or practice playing a musical instrument, such as a piano or guitar, to an automatically-performed music piece, predetermined portions of a music score of a desired music piece are sequentially displayed in accordance with progression of the automatic performance in a predetermined display style (e.g. two rows of four measures per screen). Such a music score display is very useful in that it eliminates a need for the user to take the trouble of preparing a sheet of music for each music piece to be performed, and also in that it can display a music score of even a demonstration music piece or other kind of specially arranged music piece for which there is no music score available. Further, it has also been known to display, in addition to the music score, a cursor in such a manner that the cursor moves on the displayed music score in accordance with progression of the music piece performance and thereby instruct the user to play a musical instrument, such as a piano or guitar, in accordance with a portion of the music score currently pointed to by the cursor. Such a music score display allows the user to readily practice playing a musical instrument or the like to the automatically-performed music piece. The display of the music score, cursor, etc. is controlled by a so-called music-score-display control apparatus.
In many cases, a music score display controlled by the conventional music-score-display control apparatus is intended for a simply-constructed music piece for a child or beginner and shows the whole of a music score portion corresponding to a measure of a music piece on the screen within a basic display block thereof having a fixed display width; thus, measure lines demarcating individual measures of the music piece are each always displayed at a predetermined fixed position of the corresponding measure. Therefore, if a great many score marks, such as a clef, time signature, key signature, notes and rest, are present within a measure and these score marks require more than the display width of the basic display block (such as when displaying a music score of a music piece having complicated construction that is intended for a user or player of relatively high musical skill), there would arise a problem that all of the music score marks can not be displayed appropriately within the basic display block. As one simplest approach for solving the problem encountered in displaying a music score of a music piece having complicated construction, it has been conventional to display some of adjacent score marks in an overlapping manner so that all of the score marks of each measure can be displayed completely within the basic display block. However, with the approach of displaying some of the adjacent score marks in an overlapping manner, the displayed music score tends to be very difficult for the user or player to view; that is, such a music score display tends to be very disadvantageous in terms of visibility or viewability to the user.
In view of the foregoing, it is an object of the present invention to provide a music-score-display control apparatus and method which allow a user to reliably view, with increased visibility, score marks of even a music piece having complicated construction with a great many score marks within a measure, by performing control to sequentially display a music score of the music piece in an appropriate easy-to-view style in accordance with progression of the music piece.
In order to accomplish the above-mentioned object, the present invention provides a music-score-display control apparatus which comprises: a display device;
a supply section that supplies performance data of a music piece; and a processor coupled with the display device and the supply section. The processor is adapted to: control the display device to display a music score using a predetermined basic display block; on the basis of the supplied performance data, detect music score marks included in each of predetermined music piece sections of the music piece; and for each of the music piece sections, set the detected music score marks to be placed in a single basic display block or dividedly in a plurality of the basic display blocks in such a manner that the music score marks in each of the predetermined music piece sections are displayed using a variable number of the basic display block.
Thus, if it appears that music score marks included in a given one of the predetermined music piece sections can be put appropriately in a single basic display block, these music score marks are set to be placed in the basic display block. However, if it appears that music score marks included in a given one of the predetermined music piece sections can not be put appropriately in a single basic display block, then the music score marks are set to be placed dividedly in or across a plurality of the basic display blocks. Namely, even where any one of the predetermined music piece sections includes many music score marks, the inventive arrangements allow the many music score marks to be displayed using a plurality of the basic display blocks, and thereby can effectively prevent the music score marks from being displayed overlappingly or too closely so that the music score can be displayed in an easy-to-view manner. As a result, the present invention can display a music score on the display device with increased visibility.
Further, a predetermined indicator such as a cursor, which moves in accordance with progression of a performance of a music piece, may be displayed in correspondence with a music score mark display on the display device. Thus, in addition to the music score display, respective performance timing can be displayed in correspondence with a style of the music score display, so that appropriate performance assistance can be advantageously provided to the user.
The present invention may be constructed and implemented not only as the apparatus invention as discussed above but also as a method invention. Also, the present invention may be arranged and implemented as a software program for execution by a processor such as a computer or DSP, as well as a storage medium storing such a program. Further, the processor used in the present invention may comprise a dedicated processor with dedicated logic built in hardware, not to mention a computer or other general-purpose type processor capable of running a desired software program.
While the embodiments to be described herein represent the preferred form of the present invention, it is to be understood that various modifications will occur to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention. The scope of the present invention is therefore to be determined solely by the appended claims.